Cheap, great party ideas

On MTV there is a show called My Super Sweet Sixteen. It is about people going over the top to celebrate their child’s 16th birthday. I was thinking how crazy it is to spend that type of money on a party. Last year I bought lots of pirate costumes, along with fake gold treasures, fake parrots, and fake swords after Halloween for my nephew’s birthday party in February. My brother-in-law made treasure maps where all the kids went hunting for buried treasure. They had a blast. I got the costumes and treasures for 90 percent off at Kmart. After holiday sales, along with a little imagination, can make for a great party. You will be surprised how your original idea will be a hit with all the kids.Other ways to save

■Classic children’s books like The Cat in the Hat come to life at www.Seussville.com. Kids can log on for free, play games and engage in activities that will challenge them.

■Calculate the savings if you and your child stopped buying lunch out every day and brown-bagged it. www.feedthepig.org

■Traveling this Thanksgiving? Keep the kids entertained in the backseat by downloading children’s books at www.kids.audible.com

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■Golden Corral has a free meal for anyone who has served in the military from 5-9 p.m., Nov. 16. Locally, restaurants are at 185 New Circle Road, Lexington; 110 Retail Road, Nicholasville and 100 Ikebana Path, Georgetown.

About The Fru-Gal

Deborah Morris' every-other-week column, The Fru-Gal, can help you find deals and stretch your dollars. Her column began years ago with she started answering questions about how she got so many products cheaply or free.